007 First Light is IO Interactive's first title with drivable vehicles. The studio brought specific driving expertise onto the team to support the campaign's chase, escape, and traversal set pieces. Drivable vehicles include two Aston Martins and a small set of antagonist and supporting vehicles. Reviewers consistently note that driving is a relative weak point compared to the on-foot mission design.
Brand Partners and Authenticity
IO Interactive worked with real automotive brands to ground the campaign's vehicles in the Bond fantasy. The two Aston Martins (the Aston Martin Valhalla and the vintage DBS) sit alongside an official Jaguar Land Rover partnership: the current-generation Land Rover Defender appears as an official brand partner. A special Triumph motorcycle rounds out the licensed land vehicles.
The Defender is presented as a natural fit for the campaign's globe-trotting structure and is highlighted in remote settings, including the desert chapters set in Mauritania. The studio's stated art-direction goals for these vehicles are timelessness and credibility, keeping a believable world alongside the spectacle expected from a Bond story.
Drivable Vehicles
Vehicle | Drivable | Mission Use | Real-World Spec |
|---|---|---|---|
Yes (post-Double-O unlock) | Q-Branch-modified flagship car with pop-out machine guns | Hybrid hypercar; 1064 bhp; 0-62 in 2.5 seconds; 217 mph | |
Aston Martin DBS (vintage) | Yes | Slovakia chase sequence | Vintage Aston Martin DBS; restored heritage example |
Land Rover Defender (current gen) | Limited | Cinematic appearances and selected mission transit, including the desert chapters in Mauritania | Current-generation Defender |
Antagonist and Supporting Vehicles
Vehicle | Role |
|---|---|
Jaguar XKR Coupe | Driven by the rogue agent 009 during the Slovakia chase |
Jaguar XK (2nd gen) | Antagonist vehicle featured during chase sequences |
Bin lorry (London) | Improvised escape vehicle used during the Chapter 6 escape sequence (linked to the trophy "Agent under fire") |
Helicopter | Used in the Chapter 6 escape sequence (linked to the trophy "No time to die") and in the Iceland prologue rescue |
Key Driving Set Pieces
Slovakia chase (Chapter 3 / All the Time in the World). Aston Martin DBS pursuit against the rogue agent 009 in a Jaguar XKR Coupe. The chase ends with a high-altitude jump and the "Skyfall" trophy.
London bin-lorry escape (Chapter 6 / Uninvited). Bond commandeers a city bin lorry through packed London streets to escape an alerted security cordon.
London helicopter escape (Chapter 6 / Uninvited). After infiltrating the penthouse, Bond escapes by helicopter; the moment is linked to the "No time to die" trophy.
Iceland prologue (Against the Odds). The opening helicopter sequence is the inciting incident for the entire campaign and the "Icebreaker" trophy.
Driving Mechanics
Cinematic handling. Vehicles handle in a cinematic style rather than a simulation style. Steering is forgiving and gives priority to set-piece beats over physics fidelity.
No free-roam. 007 First Light has no open-world driving. Vehicles appear in scripted sequences and in Tactical Simulation Mode driving scenarios.
Q Branch armaments. The Valhalla's pop-out machine guns are the only weaponized driving mechanic. Other drivable vehicles are unmodified.
Cinematic camera. The driving camera is fixed at a chase-cinematic distance rather than offering switchable views.
Reviewer Perspective
Driving is the most-criticized layer of the launch reception. Reviewers describe the sequences as enjoyable as palate-cleansers between stealth and combat but unremarkable on their own. The most frequent criticism is that the driving lacks the granular control of a dedicated racing game. IO Interactive's framing positions driving as a cinematic supporting layer rather than a primary gameplay system.
Upcoming: Valhalla Protocol TacSim Vehicle
The first post-launch content update for Tactical Simulation Mode makes the Aston Martin Valhalla a playable TacSim vehicle on a dedicated high-speed course set on Slovakia's mountain slopes, moving it from a scripted story car to selectable racetrack content. It was confirmed as part of IO Interactive's June 2026 Year One content roadmap; no release date or window has been announced.
The teaser advertisement that announces the update shows the Valhalla equipped with Q Branch weaponry, including homing missiles and deployable miniguns; those weapon specifics are previewed in the teaser rather than confirmed in a published breakdown, so they should be read as previewed until the update ships. This update does not change the base-game driving, which remains a relative weak point compared to the on-foot mission design.
Related Articles
Aston Martin Valhalla
Tactical Simulation Mode